Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

 

To provide grants to museums to assist in the consultation on and documentation of Native American human remains and cultural items; to provide grants to Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations, as defined in the Act, to assist in identifying human remains and cultural items; and to provide grants to museums, Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to assist in the repatriation of human remains and cultural items.

General information about this opportunity
Last Known Status
Active
Program Number
15.922
Federal Agency/Office
National Park Service, Department of The Interior
Type(s) of Assistance Offered
B - Project Grants
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2017 No information available. In FY2017, 53 applications were received and 32 awards were made to 31 entities to assist in consultation, documentation, and repatriation of Native American cultural items.
Fiscal Year 2018 49 applications were received and 35 awards were made to assist in the consultation, documentation and repatriation of native American cultural items.
Fiscal Year 2019 Twelve repatriation grants funded the transportation and return of 58 cultural items, more than 32,000 funerary objects, and human remains representing 1,601 ancestors. Twenty-two consultation and documentation grants funded museum and tribal staff travel, consultation meetings, and research in support of the repatriation process.
Fiscal Year 2020 30+ project were funded
Fiscal Year 2021 Selections in process
Fiscal Year 2022 In FY2022, the program awarded 30 grants to nine Indian Tribes and 20 museums to assist in the consultation, documentation and repatriation of ancestral remains and cultural items. Six grants funded the transportation and return of seven cultural items, more than 3,500 funerary objects, and human remains comprising 493 ancestors. Twenty-four grants funded museum and Tribal staff travel, consultation meetings, and research, all in support of the repatriation process.
Authorization
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, Pub.L. 101-601 §10, 104 Stat. 3057, 25 U.S.C. 3008.
Who is eligible to apply/benefit from this assistance?
Applicant Eligibility
An eligible applicant is: A museum that has control of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony and has received Federal funds. The term "Museum" includes state or local government agencies, private institutions, and institutions of higher learning that have received Federal funds. An Indian tribe, Alaska Native village, or Native Hawaiian organization. An "Indian tribe" means any tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community of Indians, including any Alaska Native village (as defined in, or established pursuant to, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act), which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. The Department of the Interior has interpreted this definition as applying to over 560 Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages that are recognized by the United States Government. This list does not include Alaska regional or village corporations, although Alaska Native villages may subcontract work under grants to such corporations. A "Native Hawaiian organization" includes any organization that: a) serves and represents the interests of Native Hawaiians; b) has as a primary and stated purpose the provision of services to Native Hawaiians; and c) has expertise in Native Hawaiian Affairs. NAGPRA states that such Native Hawaiian organizations shall include the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
Beneficiary Eligibility
State, local, public nonprofit institution/organization, other public institution/organization, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Government, Native American organization, American Indian.
Credentials/Documentation
Eligible museums must have completed a written summary of their Native American collections and an inventory of Native American human remains and associated funerary objects in their collections to the National Park Service and the appropriate Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations by the deadlines in 43 CFR Part 10. For repatriation grants, publication under 43 CFR Part 10 of a Notice of Inventory Completion or Notice of Intent to Repatriate in the Federal Register is required. Funding is not available for activities that occur prior to the submissions of the application.
What is the process for applying and being award this assistance?
Pre-Application Procedure
Preapplication coordination is not applicable.
Application Procedure
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Funding announcements for this program, along with registration procedures, application packages and instructions, points of contact, and procedures for submitting applications will be available on www.grants.gov.
Award Procedure
Proposals received in response to announcements on www.grants.gov are reviewed through a competitive, merit-based review process, and are rated in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in the announcement. Awards may be made to the highest rated proposals based on the amount of funding available each year.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Approval/Disapproval Decision Time
Varies depending on the type and complexity of the project. Further information will be available for each specific project at the time the funding opportunity announcement is posted on www.grants.gov. Generally, applications are reviewed and approved or disapproved by the end of the Federal fiscal year.
Appeals
None. Final award decisions are not subject to appeal; however, the National Park Service will provide applicants with information on why their proposals were not selected for award.
Renewals
If renewals or extensions are applicable to the project, this information will be included in the funding opportunity announcement. When renewals or extensions are applicable, continuation of funding for these activities is at the discretion of Congress and will be subject to availability of appropriated funds.
How are proposals selected?
Specific evaluation criteria will be included in the funding announcements posted on www.grants.gov, and will include the following: Criterion A - Objectives and Activities; Criterion B - Partnerships; Criterion C - Implementation/Administration; Criterion D - Impact/Evaluation
How may assistance be used?
Grant funds must be used for CONSULTATION, DOCUMENTATION, or REPATRIATION under NAGPRA. Consultation and documentation projects should lead to determining control, treatment, and disposition of NAGPRA cultural items. Consultation projects support efforts related to compiling or revising a NAGPRA inventory and making or responding to requests for items in a NAGPRA summary. Documentation projects support determining the geographical origin, cultural affiliation, and other basic facts surrounding the acquisition of Native American cultural items. Repatriation means the transfer of control of Native American human remains and/or cultural items to lineal descendants, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. Repatriation includes disposition of culturally unidentifiable Native American human remains (CUI) according to 43 C.F.R. 10.11. Repatriation projects defray costs associated with the packaging, transportation, contamination removal, reburial, and/or storage of NAGPRA-related human remains and/or cultural items. The Notice of Funding Opportunity posted with the funding opportunity announcement has further information regarding eligible activities.
What are the requirements after being awarded this opportunity?
Reporting
Performance Reports: Program Performance Report
Auditing
Per 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F
Records
Per 2 CFR Part 200.333 - 200.337
Other Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Project duration is generally one to two years. Payment will be made by advance or reimbursement through the Department of Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system. Grants are awarded for up to 18 months.
Who do I contact about this opportunity?
Regional or Local Office
None/Not specified.
Headquarters Office
Angelina Miller
1849 C Street NW
Mail Stop 7360
Washington, DC 20240 USA
angelina_miller@nps.gov
Phone: 202-354-2201
Website Address
http://www.nps.gov/nagpra/
Financial Information
Account Identification
14-1042-0-1-303
Obligations
(Project Grants (Discretionary)) FY 22$2,077,151.00; FY 23 est $3,407,000.00; FY 24 est $3,407,000.00; FY 21$1,907,000.00; FY 20$1,842,777.00; FY 19$1,545,396.00; FY 18$1,657,000.00; FY 17$1,497,143.00; -
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Range: $1,000.00 - $90,000.00
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
2 CFR, Part 200, 43 CFR Part 10, grants.gov and standard forms.
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2017 No information available. The National NAGPRA Program funded projects such as: - A museum hiring a bioarchaeologist to conduct an examination of the faunal collection in order to identify and culturally affiliate interspersed Native American human remains; - A university conducting in-person consultations with representatives of multiple tribes to review collections, identify sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony, and develop a care and treatment plan for the objects, including digitization to provide remote access to the tribes; and - A tribe completing the repatriation of 645 ancestors and 8,945 funerary objects from multiple museum collections for reburial near the locations of the original excavations.
Fiscal Year 2018 A tribe completing the repatriation of 36 ancestors from museum collections in multiple states for reburial near the original excavation location.
Fiscal Year 2019 The Wiyot Tribe retrieved a ceremonial dance skirt from the Brooklyn Museum in New York, NY. Tribal members traveled to New York to collect and securely package the dress and return it to California, where they welcomed it home with a ceremony. The dress is being kept on display and will be used in dances at future tribal ceremonies. The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, revisited and updated their existing NAGPRA inventory and summary in response to seven Native American tribes in the state of Virginia gaining Federal recognition. College staff reviewed the collection and conducted multiple consultation meetings with Virginia tribes to ensure all culturally and geographically affiliated NAGPRA materials were identified.
Fiscal Year 2020 Grants to Fund Repatriation Seven grants will fund the transportation and return of 50 cultural items, more than 24,000 funerary objects, and human remains representing 3,483 ancestors. The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation of Smith River, California, will carry out the Naa-ghee-xvlh (They Have Returned Home) Project. Tribal representatives will travel to the San Diego Museum of Man to take physical possession of nine funerary objects, as well as 50 cultural items considered to be sacred or tribal cultural patrimony. At the request of tribal elders and culture bearers, a conservator will conduct non-destructive testing to determine if the items were treated with any hazardous materials. The tribal delegation and museum staff will then prepare the items and construct appropriate containers for transport. Upon their return to Smith River, a ceremony will be held to welcome the cultural items home, and the funerary objects will be respectfully reinterred. Grants to Fund Consultation and Documentation Twenty-four consultation and documentation grants will fund museum and tribal staff travel, consultation meetings, and research, all in support of the repatriation process. In Kodiak, Alaska, the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository will undertake the Angilluki (Return Them) Project in collaboration with the Kodiak Alutiiq/Sugpiaq Repatriation Commission. Museum staff will research the collections of 32 institutions to gain more comprehensive information on NAGPRA-eligible Alutiiq remains and cultural objects. The information gathered will be added to the Museum’s NAGPRA database and summarized in a written report for the Commission, which will convene for an in-person meeting. As a result of these documentation and relationship-building efforts, the Commission will establish regional repatriation priorities and develop resources to support future repatriation planning and implementation.
Fiscal Year 2021 Project funded assisted in the documentation and repatriation of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. Over 30 grants were awarded.
Fiscal Year 2022 The Logan Museum of Anthropology, Beloit College, Wisconsin, repatriated the ancestral remains of five individuals and 26 burial objects removed from Ventura County, California. Representatives from seven culturally affiliated Indian Tribes will travel from California to Wisconsin to pack and transport the ancestors and burial objects back to California. The Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes in Alaska seeks to preserve their culture through the repatriation of items needed for ongoing ceremonial use by clans/tribes of the various Tlingit and Haida communities. The Tribe consulted on cultural items at the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, Rhode Island School of Design, and the Museum of Us in San Diego, California, so the objects can be welcomed back and reintegrated into the ceremonial life of the Tribe.

 



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